Out now: limited edition Basil Kirchin EP

Chris Marr

Previously unreleased EP ‘Silicon Chip’ shows another side to Kirchin the trailblazer.

From rock’n’roll and big band jazz to experiments in musique concrète, Basil Kirchin was a lifelong musical innovator.

And a new release this month, thanks to Kirchin aficionado Jonny Trunk, proves yet again that this quiet man from Hessle Road in Hull was a tirelessly innovative musical genius.

Silicon Chip, an uplifting proto-funk number, was recorded in 1979 at Fairview Studio in Willerby, East Yorkshire, just down the road from Hull. This legendary studio is where Basil, alongside owner Keith Herd, took tape recording to the next level and opened up a whole world of new sonic experiences.

Best known for his mind-melting experiments in sound throughout the 1960s and 1970s (check out Worlds Within Worlds), Silicon Chip sees Kirchin try his hand at lyrically driven funk that reflects on the tech revolution to come.

Silicon chip, silicon chip,Ruling the earth, transforming the world, ‘tsThe year of the chip – the year of the chip.

In February 2017 we’ll be celebrating Kirchin’s legacy with a unique live music festival, Mind on the Run: The Basil Kirchin Story. For three days, we’re taking over Hull City Hall to explore the impact Kirchin’s music has had on musicians far and wide, including Goldfrapp’s Will Gregory, St Etienne’s Bob Stanley, the BBC Concert Orchestra, Hidden Orchestra, Sonic Youth’s Jim O’Rourke and Matthew Herbert.